The present invention seeks to resolve the problems of easily and conveniently removing a hub, carrying a wheel and a tire, that is seized onto an axle, especially, the axle of a heavy-duty truck. A hub that carries a wheel and a tire is commonly referred to as a wheel hub, or simply the hub assembly. After several thousand miles of travel on various types of roads and highways and under various weather conditions, wheel hubs, and especially those mounted on large trucks, may tend to become seized onto the axle on which the hubs are mounted. This seizure may be caused by road oil, dirt, water and other collected debris which may form a bond around the interface of the wheel hub and the axle. Over a period of time this collection of material creates an adhesive bond which is quite strong and results in great difficulty during the removal of wheel hub from the axle when, for example, a flat tire occurs. A wheel hub may also be difficult to remove because burnt bearing sometimes weld or seize themselves to the axle housing, especially those axles found on heavy duty trucks, buses and trailers. It is reported that the generally used approach by truck drivers and mechanics in breaking the bond of the wheel hub to the axle is to use a sledge hammer that is struck a multiple number of times against the wheel hub until the bond is broken. Such an approach, however, is possible destructive.
Another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,925 to R. E. Johnson. This patent discloses a relatively complicated arrangement comprising multiple pieces that are mounted directly to the wheel hub and serves to free the seized wheel hub from the axle. It is desired that a less complicated wheel hub puller, such as a separable yet one-piece device, be provided to free a seized wheel hub from an axle, especially a hollow axle such as those found on heavy duty trucks, buses and trailers.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide a wheel hub puller that is particularly suited for use with heavy trucks, buses and trailers having a hollow axle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wheel hub puller which is simple, easily operated and so constructed that it may be employed by a relatively unskilled workman to free a seized wheel hub from an axle.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a wheel hub puller having a handle that may be used by an operator to facilitate the easy and convenient removal of a wheel hub that is seized onto an axle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wheel hub puller that is dimensioned to accommodate differently sized wheel hubs.
Further objects will become evident hereinafter.